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A bike that is designed for both on and off-road use, and as a natural consequence, is acceptable for neither.

acceptable for who ? you? Are they just N/G ? Lots of riders like them. Not the fastest or best for long distance,they are responsible for many individuals riding at all. I feel they're a great choice for many. Is it all or nothing in your mind? I'm pro-choice,especially when it comes to bikes.

Bikes: Some silver ones, a red one, an orange one and a few titanium ones

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Originally Posted by old and new

As a commuter,you see no merit to hybrids ? that's odd . What defines a commuter bike then ?

Nope. I don't. Most hybrids are either low dollar mountain bike wannabees or high dollar almost road bikes. Neither make for good commuters, in my opinion, because they are either too heavy (the wannabees) or they lack rack mounts (the almosts), among other problems.

A commuter bike is one that you ride to work. I have 4...two mountain and two road (one touring). One of the mountain bikes doesn't have a rack or possibility of mounting one so it gets used a lot less than the other 3 for commuting. If I want to go fast and far, I take the road bike. When the grass quits the orgy that it goes through every June (I'm allergic to grass ), I take the mountain bikes and bomb off into the woods for a fun commute.

As for using them in recreational pursuits, I've been on rides with people who buy into the 'it can do everything' schtick and it's made the ride frustrating for everyone...the hybrid owner included! Once I convinced a hybrid owner that her bike was really limiting her and she bought a mountain bike, her abilities vastly improved. I've seen similar results with road bikes and hybrids.

A bike that is designed for both on and off-road use, and as a natural consequence, is acceptable for neither.

Mine performs quite well on road, for the type of riding I use it for. No, it won't blast down a rocky and rooty single track without pitching me on my head, that's what my MTB is for. It will never win the TdF either. But to haul my sorry butt around town and to work it is comfortable and a pleasure to ride.

NOPE I don't buy it.Your definition ,like your criteria it's too narrow. A hybrid can be a fast flatbar,a 19lb bike with non-drops; it can be a drop-bar H/D cyclecross like an old Miyata "cross". It can be a Mountian bike style WITH skinny tires that roll nicely and are faster than your mountain bike on all but the worst trails. I state all this in responce to your response, not for your sake, I don't care what you think,besides, your mind is made-up and filled wuith negative notions, all the rhetoric and jargon, wannabee and such .I only write it for the OP, we both have presented some insight towards hybrids I'm sure.

I love my now somewhat vintage 1998 sport touring road bike, but I like hybrids for general, utilitarian cycling. If they didn't have to call them "hybrids" for some reason (hybrid of what?... if it's because they kind of adopted the look of mountain bikes, then today's all-out road racing bikes are just as much hybrids), they would just be bikes, like bikes were for better than a century. No, they aren't all out mountain bikes and so not suitable for mountain bike racing, and no, they aren't all-out road bikes either and so not suitable for road racing. If you have no fantasies about racing, much better you buy a "hybrid" than one of those so-called comfort bikes. Put a smoother, more road-oriented tire on it (about 32mm wide should be Ok), and swap the usual riser bar for a flat handlebar, then add those plain, L-shaped bar ends, and you've got a pretty good bike for riding around town and even some touring. In fact, except for not having drop bars, they aren't too different than the average affordable touring bike.

+1 Mine's a light road bike frame with riser bars and 26" X 1.5 slicks. It's WAY faster than my MTB, but the skinny 700C's can still drop me like fly bait. I don't care, though, because I'm primarily a utility cyclist. It has racks and a trunk and I put panniers on for store runs. It's fast enough for me and very comfortable for my upright riding position. I even have my bar ends angled toward me rather than forward like all the others I see. I refer to them as my cruising handles rather than climbing horns or something like that.

Bikes: Some silver ones, a red one, an orange one and a few titanium ones

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Originally Posted by old and new

NOPE I don't buy it.Your definition ,like your criteria it's too narrow. A hybrid can be a fast flatbar,a 19lb bike with non-drops; it can be a drop-bar H/D cyclecross like an old Miyata "cross". It can be a Mountian bike style WITH skinny tires that roll nicely and are faster than your mountain bike on all but the worst trails. I state all this in responce to your response, not for your sake, I don't care what you think,besides, your mind is made-up and filled wuith negative notions, all the rhetoric and jargon, wannabee and such .I only write it for the OP, we both have presented some insight towards hybrids I'm sure.

I'm not selling anything! Nor do you have to be so angry. Your definition is too broad. I've never heard anyone try to classify a cross bike as a hybrid. Many, many people who buy a hybrid end up buying something else within a very short time because the bike won't do what they want to do. I've seen it happen many times within my bike club. Buying 2 bikes isn't something that I'm against since I have multiple bikes but if one of those bikes is something that you don't use because it doesn't fit your needs, then your money has been wasted. Better to buy the right bike the first time.

I have a raliegh hybrid, two folding bikes and a road bike. The hybrid is my winter commute bike - it is fairly heavy - but it is great for my commute and it is great for the hard dirt rails to trails katy trail around here that I would not like to take my road bike on. It has been bomb proof and I have ridden used it for 30+ mile trips without incident. I like that it is upright, I like that I can easily attach a trailer, and I don't want it to be either like either my road bike nor a mountain bike. I think a hybrid can be a good choice depending on the needs of the rider. Even though I have a road bike for longer faster rides - there are any times the hybrid is the right bike for the ride.

I still can't figure out why all the angry-faces in the OP, though. Seems an odd thing to be THAT angry about. Maybe you thought you knew all the bike types and someone sprung a new one on you, which upset you very much?

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Originally Posted by soderbiker

you mean if i take my $20 mtn bike and park it next to a sweet road bike , it will be come ( the mtn bike ) into a sweet hybrid , **** you lean something everyday .
thanks for the tip
CHeers T

Maybe not so much. While there are some nice looking mixed breed dogs running around, there are some pretty funny looking ones too. That's what's more likely to happen if you let your sweet road bike sleep in the same room with your $20 mtn bike.

The name "hybrid" is applied to some very different sorts of bikes. I've seen it applied to 40 pound bikes with massive mountain bike sized tires. I've also seen it applied to some 25 pound bikes, with light 700c tires, that have exactly the same wheelbase and geometry as a good road bike made in 1977.

The BEST hybrid bikes are those with the light frame and fork and light 700c tires. They are as fast on five and ten mile inner-city rides as a "racing" style road bike, but their longer wheelbase soaks up road shock, and their longer chainstays enable you to add a rear rack and saddle bags and use them for light touring.

The "flat" bar design does not offer a choice of hand positions, so hybrids are not the ideal bike for riding three or four hours at a time. But, for a one hour "urban" ride, the best hybrids are ideal bikes. And, the best part is that a good hybrid costs far less than the $700 that a good entry level road bike costs.

Maybe not so much. While there are some nice looking mixed breed dogs running around, there are some pretty funny looking ones too. That's what's more likely to happen if you let your sweet road bike sleep in the same room with your $20 mtn bike.

well actually i dont have all our bikes in the livingroom just 3 of them ..
so i hope that the nishiki or the cannondale that sleeps with my crescent mtn bike , ( which needs a face lift =) and i wake up in the morning to a new nishiki -> http://www.nishiki.se/index.php?page=cyklar&id=37

My Marin hybrid is working out quite well as a utility bicycle. For those who bicycle for recreation and aren't car free, such concerns are probably less important. But for those of us who can't afford to buy a different bike for every occasion they're pretty good. Esp. since so many other bicycles today have become hyper-specialized. They remind me of what we used to call "mountain bikes" in my college days. Back before mountain biking became an "extreme" sport full of arrogant a-holes and fussy little gear queens.